Embattled 'supermayor' Tiffany Henyard extended her ongoing feud with the Village of Dolton’s board of trustees Tuesday when she proceeded with a board meeting despite it being postponed by trustees. Henyard, a Democrat, has been at loggerheads with the board for months in the wake of allegations of excessive spending and corruption. She declared at the meeting that her administration had 'cleaned up' the suburban Illinois town despite a report that its budget had plunged into the red.
She also appointed new village staffers at the meeting, although the appointments are likely not valid. The trustees decided to postpone Tuesday’s regular board meeting until Sept. 12 in order to address 'several urgent matters,' including finalizing the village budget, establishing a new bank account, and hiring a new auditor.
Henyard's attorney argued the postponement violated Illinois law due to a lack of proper notice and believes the board's actions are interfering with Henyard’s ability to perform her duties as mayor. The mayor went ahead with the meeting even though she did not have a quorum as only two trustees were present.
It’s the latest in a series of public spats between the mayor and the board. Henyard has vetoed the board's request to launch a federal investigation into her alleged misuse of funds and also vetoed their hiring of former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, who has been tasked with leading a special investigation into the mayor.
Lightfoot’s investigation into the town’s financial situation revealed in a preliminary report that Dolton's general fund balance was $5.61 million in 2022, but by May 2024 the balance had dropped to a deficit of $3.65 million. Lightfoot also disclosed that Henyard used the village credit card to make purchases at various retailers.
Despite the serious allegations being leveled against her, Henyard declared Tuesday that she has cleaned up the town and announced that she will soon be holding a State of the Village address. The clash over Tuesday’s meeting came on the same day Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul issued a binding opinion that Dolton repeatedly violated the Open Meetings Act this summer.
Henyard’s accusations of financial misdeeds have prompted an ongoing FBI investigation. Furthermore, Lewis A. Lacey, the former deputy chief of police of Dolton and an ally of Henyard, was indicted earlier this month by a federal grand jury on bankruptcy fraud charges. In February, it was reported that the FBI was investigating Henyard after six people had reportedly spoken to the agency about her alleged misconduct.
In April, the FBI served two federal subpoenas as part of an investigation. The first one was for employment records, personnel files, and disciplinary reports for 25 Dolton employees, including three police officers and Keith Freeman, who is the village administrator and Henyard's top aide. The second subpoena was served specifically on Freeman, asking for records of all companies associated with him and possible ties to the village.
